There’s nothing like a funeral to focus your mind on the home
truth that we aren’t around on this earth for very long. My Auntie Daphne, whose funeral I attended
today, was lucky enough to live past her 83rd birthday but unlucky as
she had Parkinson’s Disease for several years of her life. She was a keen gardener, flower arranger and
loved to sew and the disease robbed her of the chance to enjoy these hobbies.
Despite the difficulties, she still maintained her sense of humour and I will
forever remember her fruity laugh and generous heart.
Daphne was a planner, like me and the service had largely
been devised by her. She wrote a
beautiful prayer and helped to put together the details of her life that made
up the tribute. She’s a woman after my
own heart; I am keen on the idea of having a hand in my own memorial service (a control
freak till the very end). I can’t,
however, shake the thought that planning my funeral could tempt fate and I know
as I type that sentence, that the idea sounds barmy but that doesn’t make the feeling go away.
I’ve noticed a lot of comment recently on social media about
Growing Up – there are the classic phrases – “Don’t grow up; it’s a trap” and “Growing
old is mandatory; growing up is optional”. I think that however grown-up we feel,
there is always that kid inside us. It’s just a question of how much we are
prepared to show that kid to the outside world.
I am the very proud owner of a Stormtrooper door poster but
it has stayed, curled up in its tube until this weekend. I couldn’t reconcile the grown-up
in me that said having a door poster that visitors to your house would see is
childish and silly. And the kid that was
saying “Put it up now!”.
This weekend the kid and the grown-up had a conversation and
agreed a compromise. So now as I sit at my computer, my Stormtrooper poster is
up on the wall next me. And it’s SO cool J
May the force be with you…till next time.
Jane
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